With her new fabric and rug lines, Mary McDonald brings a blast of L.A. energy to traditional elegance

Mary McDonald

Mary McDonald

What would Nancy Lancaster do? Madeleine Castaing? Elsie de Wolfe? When Mary McDonald began designing her handsome new fabric and trims collection for Schumacher and eye-popping rugs for Patterson, Flynn & Martin, she turned to her three favorite "lady decorators" for inspiration. "I've always loved Nancy's classic taste, Madeleine's wackiness, and Elsie's whimsy. I wanted the collection to reflect what they might have done now," says McDonald, one of Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators.

Empire Stripe Rug

Empire Stripe Rug

McDonald's superscale, geometric patterns are a hallmark of both her fabrics and rugs. "Around the office, we refer to the style as 'rock and roll meets Park Avenue,'" she says. Chippendale fretwork, Moroccan tile, Greek keys, Florentine papers--McDonald reoriented and refreshed these classic patterns in three palettes: blue and white; camel, red, and black; and soft shades the designer refers to as the "Jordan almond" group.